NY Giants LB Says Tom Coughlin’s Toughness Inspires The Team

In the fourth quarter of the Giants’ 31-24 road win over Miami on Monday, Tom Coughlin took a spill. And by “took a spill,” we mean he was wiped out by Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie.

Coughlin, however, didn’t stay down for long. In fact, the 69-year-old popped back up rather quickly.

That sequence was not lost on his players.

“For him to be out there on that sideline coaching, getting up, knocking the dirt off his pants and keeping that thing rolling – even though we laugh about it and joke about it, that’s a tough old man,” Giants linebacker J.T. Thomas said on CBS Sports Radio’s The DA Show. “That’s something that we witness and it kind of gives us inspiration. We look forward to approaching each one of these games knowing that our focus is urgent, precise, (and) just knowing exactly what Coach Coughlin wants us to do week in and week out.”

The Giants, who have made blowing fourth-quarter leads an art form this season, must have left their paint brushes in East Rutherford this week. They took a 31-24 lead early in the quarter – this after an 84-yard touchdown catch by Odell Beckham Jr. – and then made it stick. Actually, they held Miami scoreless for the final 24+ minutes of action.

New York (6-7), which had dropped four of five, is now in a three-way tie with Washington and Philadelphia in the NFC East. The Giants close the season against Carolina (13-0), at Minnesota (8-5) and against Philadelphia (6-7) in a game that could decide the division.

“I think we’re locked in on these last couple of ball games and just winning,” Thomas said. “For us, our focus is about winning – about approaching each week and locking in on our opponent. Regardless of what anyone else in our division is doing, our focus is in on the task at hand.”